Seat back rest



Jan. 19, 1954 N, K. BOSSERT ET AL 2,666,474

SEAT BACK REST Filed July 22, 1949 INVENTORS I BY 41: riot/AL ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 19, 1 954 SEAT BACK REST Norman K. Bossert and Theodore Wagner, Lodi, Calif., assignors of one-third to Edwin C. Reimche, Lodi, Calif.

' V Application July 22, 1949, Serial No. 106,269

This invention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a novel back-rest for detachable engagement with an initially backless board or plank seat such as is. found in stadiums or the like; the device afiording substantial comfort to the occupant of the seat.

A'separate object ofthe invention is to provide a back rest, for the purpose, which is handy, convenient, readily portable, and easily manually attached to or detached from a board or plank seat.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a back rest which includes spaced standards connected together by a flexible seat back of canvas or the like; there being novel means to secure the standards at transversely spaced points and at their lower ends to a board or plank seat, and such means being tightened automatically upon the occupant of the seat resting rearward against said seat back, with re- 'sultant tension on the standards laterally toward each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a back rest which is capable of collapse into a relatively small, light weight bundle for carrymg,

g A further object of the invention is to provide a back rest which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture; the structure, of the device being simple but sturdy.

.A still further object of ,the, invention is to provide a "practical and reliable portable .back rest for board or plank seats, and yet one which will be exceedingly eifective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplishedby means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawingsi Y If'ig. 1 is a perspective view of the back rest as m use.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; the released position of one of the standards being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modification of the back rest.

Referring now more particularly to the characters' ofjireference on the drawings, and at present' to land 2,...the back [rest comprises a pair of standards I constructed of metallic rod.

A seat back 2 of flexible material, such as heavy-duty canvas, extends between-the upper pcntions of the standards I and is connected at i l d th by vfirtical attachment sleeves 4 Claims. (Cl. -133) 3 in which said upper end portions of the standards are received.

If desired, the standards may have a slight rearward offset 4 directly below the attachment sleeves 3, to best position the seat back 2.

At their lower end portions the standards I each incline forwardly and downwardly, as at 5, and thence curve downwardly and rearwardly, as at '6, merging in integral relation with the top leg 1 of a substantially U-shaped, forwardly opening binding yoke, indicated generally at 8.

Each binding yoke 8 includes, in addition to the top leg 1, a dependent back leg 9 and a forwardly projecting bottom leg It.

The top leg 1 and bottom leg In of each binding yoke 8 are spaced apart a sufficient distance to permit such yoke to straddle a board or plank seat II from the rear edge; such seat being of the type which is commonly found in stadiums or the like.

Additionally, the binding yoke t, correspond= ing to each standard I, is inclined laterally outwardly and downwardly. Thus, when each standard is upright the top leg 1 of the corresponding binding yoke 8 lies laterally inwardly of the related bottom leg I0. See Fig. 2.

A reinforcing web I2 is secured in place between each top leg 1 and the adjacent forwardly and downwardly inclined portion 5 of each standard; such web not only serving as a reinforcement but also providing a hand-hold for manipulation of the standards I when the back rest is being manually attached to, or detached from, the seat I l.

The described back rest is used in the following manner:

To attach the back rest the pair of binding yokes 8 are engaged, in straddling relation, over the seat I I from the rear edge thereof, and the standards l are manually separated as far as possible so as to place the seat back 2 under tension. V

This tension, which increases greatly when the occupant of the seat leans rearwardly against the seat back 2, tends to urge the standards I laterally inwardly at the top. When this occurs the binding yokes 8 forcefully and eifetcively bind on the seat I l each top leg 1 binding downwardly onto the top surface of the seat, while the corresponding'bottom leg I 0 binds upwardly against the under surface of the seat. The top lineof bind is indicated at [3, and the bottom line of bind at It, inFig. 2. I a

With the yokes 8 thus bound against the seat I I said yokes, together with the standards I cannot escape rearwardly relative to "said seat, and

the occupant of the latter may lean rearwardly in comfortable engagement with the seat back 2.

To detach the back rest from the seat II, it is only necessary to swing one of the standards I laterally inwardly to the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon both yokes 8 unbind and may be easily freed rearwardly from the seat ll. As detached, the standards I are .brought together and the flexible seat back 2 wrapped about the same to form a relatively light-weight and compact bundle for carrying and storage.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a modificationoiflthe back rest; such modification being of substantially the same assembly as above described, ibut includes standards 15 which are of .wood rather than metal rod. The standards [5 are connected together at their upper end portions by .a seat back l6 of flexible material, such as canvas, and which seat back it is secured to said standards [5 by vertical attachment sleeves ll.

--At their lower ends the standards it include integral blocks, indicated generally at 1B,- which blocks l8 are each formed with a transverse, forwardly opening slot I8 whereby to form the corresponding block as a binding yoke 20, whose purpose is the same as the yokes 8 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

The transverse slots I9 are inclined laterally inwardlyand downwardly, as shown, so that when such binding yokes 2-0 are engaged with a board or plank seat from the rear edge and laterally inward tension is applied to the standards It at their upper end portions, said yokes 20 effectively bind the seat.

The top line of bind of each yoke 20 is indicated at 2i, and the bottom line of bind is indicated at 22.

This embodiment of the invention is attached to a seat, used, and detached from said seat, in exactly the same manner as described in connection with the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2.

When used with a board or plank seat which is initially backless, the described device-in either embodiment-provides substantial comfort to the occupant of the seat, permitting such occupant to lean rearwardly in a restful manner.

Although simple and relatively light Weight in structure, the device is sturdy and is capable of use in a convenient and ready manner.

, An advantageous feature of the device, in either embodiment, is that the same can be attached to a board or plank seat without the need of screw-type clamps, or other securing mechanism requiring manual adjustment.

From the foregoing description it will be read-,

ily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein,

.While this specification sets forth in detail the p nt an preferred GQIJ tX lQIti Il Of the .tlfi fl still in practice such deviations from such detail 4 nected between upper portions of the standards, and a binding yoke on the lower end of each standard defining an opening facing forwardly of the seat whose height is slightly greater than the thickness of the seat so that the yoke may initially freely straddle the seat from its rear edge; each standard and yoke being integral and of metal rod, and. each yoke being of generally U-shape and inclined laterally outwardly and downwardly relative to the corresponding 'fstandards so that the top and bottom legs of said yoke are laterally spaced and bind downward and upward, respectively, on the seat when the standards are .substantially vertical upon "laterally inward itension being imparted to the .standards iromzthe seat back.

2. A back rest, as in claim 1, in which each standard includes a forwardly and downwardly inclined portion directly above the top leg of the corresponding binding yoke, and a reinforcing and hand hold web secured between said inclined portionand .top' leg.

.3. YA back rest for an initially backless board seat comprising a pair of transversely spaced rigid standards, a seat back of flexible material connected between the upper portions of the standards, and a yoke on the lower end of each. standard comprising vertically spaced legs providing opposed transversely extending vertically spaced edges .for seat engagement and defining a horizontal opening whose direct height between said edges is slightly greater than that of the seat .so that the yoke may initially straddle the seat; the lines of direct height of the openings of the two ,yo'kes .if extended intersecting each other centrally between the standards and at a downwardly .iacing angle when the standards are substantially vertical and the back is substantially taut whereby the points of engagement of the upper legs of theyokes with the seat are then laterally inward of the points of engagement of the lower legs with the seat, so as to provide a binding action against the seat upon pressure being exerted on the standards in a direction to draw the upper ends thereof toward each other.

4. A back rest as in claim 3, in which each yoke comprises a block, said block being transversely slotted to provide the corresponding legs and. seat straddling opening, and the legs forming parallel surfaces .at the top and bottom of each slot inclining laterally inwardly and downwardly so that the upper laterally inward edge and the lower laterally outward edge of each yoke bind downward and upward, respectively, on the seat upon laterally inward tension being imparted to the standards by the seat back.

NORMAN K. BOS SERT. THEODORE WAGNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,822,905 Re Nois Sept. 15, 1931 2,383,041 Campbell Aug. 21, 1945 2,490,297 Gardner run Dec. 6, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 129,832. Switzerlandv Jan. 2, 1929 a and 

